Focusing on Life :: Hearts

Sally's prompt for this week's Focusing on Life hop was a call to notice the hearts that appear in our everyday lives. She asked us to pay attention to our surroundings and notice what hearts we see during our week. 

I had to laugh to myself thinking of the prompt. Living in a house with two daughters means that it just isn't going to take that long before I see a heart pop up somewhere.

It hit me pretty quickly this week, actually just a couple hours after Sally's prompt. As I was ironing away for one of my youngest daughter's favorite crafts, a couple of hearts got rotated into the mix. I knew I had my photo for the week.

She loves to create with Pyssla beads from Ikea. We bought a single kit for the girls years ago, and still they love to create a piece, iron it and wait for it to cool. And then last weekend my youngest set up the ironing board and laid out all her pieces to be ironed and dogged me until I got to it. She had at least 12 various creations ready to go, one of which was a gift for a friend at school. It was an intricate piece (the shape of a girl) and the beads spilled all over the place when I picked it up to iron it. One look on my daughter's face, and I knew. I was down on the floor trying to find all those scattered beads. We did eventually get that one together and ironed, but it took nearly 5 tries before the thing held together. Sigh. She loves this craft.

While the girls have a large collection of shapes, colors and sizes ... we pulled out all the hearts to photograph for this week. I figured 10 would suffice.

AJE Earring Challenge :: 4 Seasons

I've had this Crowded House song (Four Seasons In One Day) running through my head for days, and it got me thinking ... what better way to inspire what's on my bead table but to pick a theme. And this one was seriously top of mind. And so, I picked colors by seasons and designed a series of earrings thinking about what other various components and findings would add to the seasonal designs. Check down at the bottom of the post for the song if you feel like humming along. I found a great version of it live with mostly just piano and acoustic guitar. 

Ok, now on to the earrings. Last week I posted the spring pair from this series, as part of the on-going, 13-week AJE earring challenge. This brings my count up to 6 pair, so I'm cruising right along.  I promised to return with the completion of my 4 Seasons series using Marsha Neal's charms... and here they are. I went just a little crazy when I saw Marsha's charms at a recent bead show and bought quite a variety of her work. For the line up, here are the details on each pair:

Summer: Lemon Meringue. Materials: Marsha Neal porcelain charms, enamel leaf, gold wire, vermeil flower earwires

Fall: Foliage. Materials: Marsha Neal porcelain charms, citrine facetted rondelles, gold spacers and earwires

Winter: Snow Tracks. Materials: Marsha Neal porcelain charms, hemp cord, silver spacers and bead, silver patterned posts

Spring: Fern Furls. Materials: Marsha Neal porcelain charms, hammered silver, silver patterned earwires

Focusing on Life :: Painting Tulips

This week Sally asked us to create art for our Focusing on Life Challenge. It doesn't have to literally be art, it could be the art of jewelry design or component making. But I show you guys jewelry all the time. And her prompt was to not limit ourselves, to perhaps try something new. Ok, so art it is. 

Honestly, one of the things I've been thinking about is doing some painting. This is a little bit of a cheat as I did this painting about a year ago. I've been so crazy busy at the office that I haven't had a chance to get out to find the materials: a canvas, paints a few brushes. But it is something that has moved up my 'to do' list. I will give it a go soon, but for now I decided I would tell you why I've been interesting in painting.  

Almost a year to the day, I was in New Zealand visiting my sister. And I asked her one morning what was up with the blank canvas she had propped up in her guest room. She said she had been thinking about doing a painting but had just never gotten around to it. I knew immediately it was going to be our project. I told her we were going to paint it so she had something to remember our time together. That confidence has nothing to do with whether or not I can paint, it's just that we always like to find a little something either to do, or buy together that will remind us of each other since our visits are so infrequent. 

So now the questions was what; what to paint? My sister suggested tulips since they are her husband's favorite flower. So we were off to the store to pick up paints and brushes. Over the the next 3 or 4 days we spent our afternoons out on the deck sipping local NZ wine and painting. A time I will indeed remember. We started with layers of blue for the background and then gave it a rest for the afternoon to dry. The following day we added sweeping grass and then the next day we added tulips. We signed it "Machata-Sargent" for a little fun. Our two married names, and a play on Singer Sargent for those who know the amazing classic American artist, and one of my all-time favorites. This painting now hangs in my sister's foyer. I told her that she didn't have to show it prominently, but apparently her husband insisted. 

AJE Earring Challenge :: Marsha Neal Studio

I'm continuing to work on my one pair of earrings a week challenge from AJE. Ok, is anyone keeping count? Just to keep everything honest here, this is pair #3.

Recently I was at a bead show and saw some of Marsha's work. I could not help myself as I love the organic look of her pieces!  Her beads and charms just make me want to create. I did some serious damage to the credit card at her table. 

This week I saw a write up at Love My Art Jewelry of how Marsha creates her patterns by rolling clay out over textured plates - so cool! She also talks about what inspires her and how she manages to still find enough balance in her life to spend time with her family.

These earrings feature a pretty ceramic porcelain in a soft green that I paired up with hand hammer 16g silver wire. I just love a good hammering session... great stress release! And I managed to not hit a thumb - most excellent. 

The pair turned out to be whimsical with a nice swing to them and the swirls remind me of new ferns in the spring as the furls are just starting to unwind. They are now in my Etsy Shop. I've pulled out several pairs so I can do a 4 season series. This is the first in the series, so I will be back with a few more.

Soutache On The Bead Table :: Lady Gray Cameo

Artisan Whimsy challenged us to try out a new technique called Soutache (pronouced SOO-tash) and is referred to as Russian Braid. It is a beautifully flowing stitching technique with layers of trims, braids and tassels; developed in the 16th century. The trims are stitched flat in a combination of sewing and bead embroidery with the trims 'stacked' to create a stronger visual with the beads in a series of curves. 

I found inspiration on a few sites from Poland, Hungary and Romania. If you want to see some amazing eye candy check out this site by Aurus.

I have done quite a bit of sewing, embroidery and beading and when I saw the call to learn this technique I thought I'd be able to master it quickly. But that was not the case; I can't even bring myself to show you my first attempt. What I can tell you is that every little niggle with your stitch shows up. 

I started the project weeks ago, and put it down as I was too frustrated to try again. I finally picked it back up again a day ago, and it went along much more easily this time. I decided to let the trim fall into its place naturally as I stitched along. This worked so much better - and faster - for me. I also decided that instead of trying to work in multiple colors, I wanted to focus to one color and let the central focal take center stage, which worked better with what I had in mind. I wanted to do something that was a little more Victorian and thought a cameo would be the perfect focal.

This piece is still on my bead table. I need to put the backing on and add a few more pearls. I also need to decide if this will be a choker or a necklace, and if I want to use ribbon, velvet or a beaded stitch. I'm going to let it sit for a few days, but I'm so glad I tried this again! I would recommend checking out the recommended site for materials and tutorials if you want to try Soutache; Amee Runs with Scissors.

The Queen of Hearts

Artisan Whimsy put out a challenge to create a piece that shows your passion and love for jewelry design. Anyone who follows my blog knows that my style (if you want to call it that) is eclectic; aka anything and everything.  So for me to create something that represents my style is not so easy. 

So instead, I decided to focus on the season. With Valentine's Day approaching, and the fact that I just got this seriously sweet artisan heart pendant in the mail from Tiffany Goff of Southern Gals Design; I decided that is what I'd use as inspiration.

Sometimes I like big bold, crazy design. But sometimes I like the simplicity of design. Sometimes the beads by themselves are a lush color and can stand on their own. I'm currently having a love affair with these pale yellow, micro seed beads. They set off the pale red-pink of the heart. I originally paired the heart with bright red beads, but it made it look washed out. I switched to the yellow beads and it brought this sweet pendant to life. I love how color can do that.

So for the question to show passion for design, my answer this week (as with most weeks) is you've got to listen to the beads, be willing to try new things and make adjustments when things just aren't working. Sometimes knowing what doesn't work is just as important as knowing what does. Both lead you forward.

Focusing on Life :: Cuppa Tea

Sally asked us this week for our Focusing on Life challenge to think about when the last time was that we took a few moments to ourselves? Something that you do without feeling guilty, to recharge just a little. 

I had to think about it. Most of the things that came to mind involved my kids. And as much as I love being with my kids, that isn't always 'me time' exactly. 

The more I thought about it the more I realized that there is one time each week that is for me. Where I sort of half listen, and get into my own 'zone.' That is Saturday morning, with a cuppa tea and perusing my favorite blogs. I put on the kettle and make a pot of my favorite tea: which happens to be Russian Caravan. This flavor actually originates from China in the 19th century. The camel caravans for the transcontinental tea trade would make passage through the cold dry climate of Mongolia and Siberia as a sea voyage through the tropical seas would ruin the flavor of the tea. As the caravan made it's way the tea would be unloaded nightly and take on the smoky taste of the campfires. It isn't a flavor for everyone, but I LOVE it.

So when my kids come tapping on Saturday morning .... unless there is bleeding involved or some other type of mishap ... they wait for me to finish at least one cup of tea in my favorite mug. And then, the doctor is in.

Quick addition to this post. Kashmira asked what was on the cup, and its meaning. The word is Suomalainen which means to be Finnish, in Finn. The word Suomi is Finland in Finn, which is what it originates from. I bought this mug in my hometown where the local population is roughly 70% Scandinavian, of which most are Finns.

On the Bead Table: PJBeads

Early December I was at a bead show and stopped by Patricia Dugmore of pjBeads booth. She has such a passion for making lampwork glass beads, and in her words she says "The journey and discovery of glass is just as exciting today as it was on the day I took my first class." That was in 2003; a mere 10 years to hone such a talent. 

I picked up quite a variety from her as her beads were just so gorgeous. I could not help but stand there sifting through the baskets of multi-colored glass. My partners in crime (Christine and Sally) were right there beside me; just as mesmerized as I was. So you'll definitely be seeing more from me using her beads in upcoming earring designs. 

The pattern of each bead is its own custom design in red, black and olive green. My picture-taking skills (or lack there of) just don't do these justice. The colors are just stunning. I paired them up with some hammered silver to create paddles for my onyx rondelles. I haven't made paddles before, but found them easy to create. This is a second pair in a series of artisan bead earrings that I'm working of for the AJE Earring challenge.

AJE Earring Challenge: Lesley Watt

AJE (Art Jewelry Elements) has put out a challenge asking jewelry designers to create a pair of earrings each week for 13 weeks. The challenge is actually for all of 2013, but they are breaking up groups into 3 months at a time. I signed up for the first group. 

The rules are pretty simple. Create a pair of earrings using art beads or art components, and note (in a blog post) who made them.

This is my first pair, and I used some gorgeous bronze headpins by Lesley Watt of THEAtoo. I absolutely love these headpins. They are a great weight, the wire was easy to work with and they are simply a beautiful pattern. I used some turquoise heshi beads with lots of veining to really play on the beautiful color of the bronze by Lesley. Now on my Etsy.

I decided to take a look at the history behind turquoise and found that the stone has been used for thousands of years, in fact it dates back to ancient Egypt and Persia. Ok, I didn't know that. The stone was thought to bring good fortune. Some used it as a tailsman, worn around the neck or waist, as protection against unnatural death. And if it changed color the wearer was thought to have reason to fear the approach of doom. Right. The original 'mood ring.'  In reality, the change in color can be caused by light or a chemical reaction from cosmetics or the acidity of the skin.

Turquoise shows up in King Tut's burial mask, which makes sense as he is widely known for being sickly. The stone in the mask likely came from the Sinai Peninsula then called the 'Country of Turquoise.' The Egyptians loved to used the stone in great sweeping necklaces, and when King Tut's tomb was excavated in the early 20th century it brought on Egyptian Revival jewelry.

The modern name for turquoise comes from an old French word for 'Turkish' because the stone was first brought to Europe (likely along the silk road) from Turkey. Much of it came from the historical mines in Khorasan province of Iran. Iranians used the stone as inlay in palaces as it's intense blue color was the symbol of heaven on earth.

In the Americas it dates back to the Aztecs who called it 'teoxihuiti' and used it as inlay in many items including ceremonial masks, knives and shields. The Pueblo, Navajo and Apache used it as an amulet with the Apache believing that the stone gave an archer dead aim. Native American Peoples used turquoise as beads and freeform pendants, and are thought to have greatly influenced its production and use.

It is amazing how much history this one stone has, and across so many continents. 

Focusing on Life :: Sisu

Oh boy. I thought last week's challenge was a tough one, but this week's might be even more so for me. You see, my word is not one that is easy to capture. The word sisu is a word that most Finns would use to describe themselves. It is one I've heard my whole life, and one that I've learned is an essential part of being Finnish. But this year, I've challenged myself to truly live by the word and to be true to myself even if it takes a little more inner strength.

So what exactly is the meaning of sisu? There are plenty of definitions, but the one most agree with is that it translates to the strength of will, determination and perseverance. I often heard it translated as a child as 'having guts.' Other, more thoughtful interpretations say it is not momentary courage, but the ability to sustain an action against the odds - even with repeated failure.

Now you can call that stubbornness, which many Finns are accused of, and you can call that stoic-ness which is also a typically Finnish trait. But I choose to call it persistent: to keep trying until you get it right. That in a nutshell is me. And I'd like to channel that energy to realigning my life this year. To let go of those things that are holding me back and embrace those things that are helping me grow as a person.

Ok, so how do you capture that in a picture? I took the entire week to try to figure out what I could photograph. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that when I think about what this means to me it is captured by my grandparents. Funny thing is I think of my maternal grandparents, who are German. My father is actually the Finn. Nonetheless, that is what I think of. They grew up in rural Nebraska, on neighboring farms. They were sweethearts from about the age of 6 and ran off to get married at 17 across the Nebraska border in Kansas (that wild state of KS - ha!). 

But by the time the kids came along, they were heading into the dust bowl. And Nebraska was right in the heart of that crazy thing. They tried to move the family to Oregon twice. The first time Grandpa just couldn't find any work. So he went back to Nebraska. But the second time he found work on a Dairy farm and went back to pack up the family and drive across the states in an old Ford pickup truck shown here (c. 1938). The little girl is my mom.

My grandparents were hard-working, people of few words, and what they said was honest. They lived their lives simply and with love. I think that is a great guide to assess my life this year.

Pay it Forward :: Mama's Got To Doodle

Today is my last installment of my Pay it Forward series.  You see, the way this works is that the first 3 people who commented on my blog (when I posted that I was participating) are the bloggers who received a handmade gift from me sometime within the following year. 

This last gift went to Jayne of Mama's Got to Doodle. Looks like she's having a great kick off to the year with a big clean up of the work station, and a bead in the Art Jewelry Element January challenge. Congratulations Jayne! Can't wait to see it.

When I asked Jayne what she liked in jewelry she let me know that she really wore bracelets. And after visiting Jayne's blog many times to see what kind of bracelets she liked, and made for herself, I thought this amethyst one called a crystal helix would be something that she might like. But I needed to ask as she had said that the colors she liked were greens and reds. Happily when I asked her about amethyst she said she would love that, and indeed when it arrived she told me it fit perfectly and that she loved it! Phew! 

Pay it Forward :: Caron Michelle

My next recipient of my Pay it Forward series is Caron of Caron Michelle. When I asked Caron what style of jewelry she preferred she said "Surprise me! I wear all sorts of jewelry"

Caron is from Australia, and I know they have reverse seasons. Currently Australia is in summer. Oh how I wish I were there soaking in some warm weather! 

Several blogs back, Erin and Brandi gave us a challenge of color. And this is the necklace that I created inspired by Guinea-Bissau. The apatite stones and flow of the pattern in the Murano glass just make me think of summer and the blue of the ocean. I knew that I wanted to send this to Caron; especially when she told me her favorite colors were blue and red and she loved silver. This piece just seemed perfect for a lovely summer outfit. When I posted this necklace for the blog hop, Caron did say that she "absolutely adored it." And I hope she felt the same once she saw it in person!

I have one more recipient to tell you about, so I'll be back tomorrow with my final reveal of my 'Pay it Forward' pieces.

Pay it Forward :: The One That Got Away

As promised, this is the other version of the 'Pay it Forward' necklace I was working on for Chelsea that I mentioned in yesterday's post. 

I played with this version and re-strung it several times. I was looking for a sort of 'webbing' effect that just wasn't working. And you simply cannot force the beads where they don't want to go. I will come back to that pattern, just need to use different weight beads. The ones I was using are micro beads, and while I love the look of them they simply don't have enough weight.  I'll be back in a later post with a version of a webbing effect. 

For now, this is a pattern that I strung Christmas Eve, sitting in front of the fire (really). I was thinking about holly berries, and that beautiful deep rich red that they have. We have several bushes of them just outside the kitchen window and I love to watch the birds scamper for them. Usually they come 10-15 at a time and try to peck them out of each other's beaks ... you'd think they'd just grab another one from the bush, but what's the fun in that?

This one is now listed in my Etsy Shop; for anyone interested. I used bamboo coral for the red beads, silver coils (I picked up in Brighton, UK) and a large Murano glass focal. I'll be back tomorrow with a second recipient of my 'Pay it Forward' pieces.

Pay it Forward :: Chelsea Art Designs

I know I haven't shown you guys any jewelry since before Christmas, but rest assured I have still been working away at the bead table. So I do have a few things to show you.

Let's start with a series on my Pay it Forward. I joined this blog hop over at Alicia's All the Pretty Things blog back in September. We have one year to 'pay it forward' and send a surprise gift to 3 recipients who comment on our blogs. Today is the first of three reveals for participants who clicked on my blog.

I tried to take time and really think about what each of these lovely ladies might really enjoy as their surprise. My first reveal is going to be the one who gave me the most to ponder. Chelsea (shown here) of Chelsea Art Designs. When I asked Chelsea what she liked by way of jewelry she told me she liked warm colors and preferably red or orange. 

The first piece I made was with red (I'll show you that one tomorrow). I wasn't quite sure it would work as I used a large black pendent, and after a quick chat with Chelsea we decided that I should try again.

The second piece uses orange in a number of different materials. The chain is handmade with silver wire wrapping and carnelian beads. The large beads are enamels that I received from Keri at Pink Lemonade that are such a rich, deep color. And the pendent is called golden ochre which is a shell from New Zealand that I picked up while I was there. I also used a bale with a little silver leaf (another symbol of New Zealand). I hope she likes this one!

Focusing on Life :: Self Portrait

Sally at The Studio Sublime asked who would "focus on life through one photo a week" with her? The idea is to create a photo collage of an entire year. Each week being an exercise in looking at your life, your surroundings in a new and unique way, and then capturing that moment with a single click of the camera.

So week 1, our first photo inspiration prompt was to take a self portrait. AaAaRRRRRrrr ... I'm pretty sure the neighbors down the block heard me on that one. Don't get me wrong. I love snapping pictures. I have hundreds of them. Of my kids, my jewelry, my travels .... but of me? not a one. In a word: crap-ola.

Al-righty then. I tell myself to 'pull up my socks' and get on with it. I decided to think of this more artistically. To create a portrait that is more a depiction of me. I prefer to be behind the camera. 

Yes, that is my iPhone. I recently talked about needing to upgrade my photos ... and there you have the reason. As lovely as my little phone is, it's time for a big girl's camera. 

This is me. While I love to create jewelry; big, bold, artistic jewelry, I don't wear it. Jewelry creation is more of an artistic outlet for me. To express design, and to study history or culture of another place and time. I'm just a geek that way. If I wear any jewelry; it is one of about 3 pair of earrings. These are my favorites; a simple Tahitian pearl. I do; however, get completely giddy to see other people wear my jewelry. It still amazes me each and every time when someone likes my pieces enough to wear them. 

I will be back next Saturday with another installment of Focusing on Life, and every Saturday there after. You can find my building photo collage on Pinterest. 

Blogger Award: Premio Dardos

The lovely Marcela at Fashion Adictas has given me a most wonderful award ... the Premio Dardos. Thank you Marcela! It means a lot to me that someone with so much talent and creativity has decided to share this with me. (That is, once I figured out the meaning of the award!)  

Ok, so my search did make me laugh just a bit because I have to tell you that Google translator makes me giggle at the nonsensical idioms. But I believe after translating some 30 or so blogs, I can give you a sense of what this award means. I can also tell you that it seems to have swept through Madrid and made it's way here. 

The award was created by the Spanish writer Alberto Zambade in 2008. It appears to be a journalistic award for bloggers. Zambade wanted to recognize those bloggers who write about everyday life, culture and art, and who do so on a personal level and with integrity. Now mind you, that isn't exactly how the translation goes, that is my interpretation.  If you want a flavor of the translations they go like this: "the award aims to recognize the values ​​of each blogger, for his commitment to the transmission of cultural, ethical, literary and personal. Expressing ultimately their creativity through their remaining living thought innate in his words."

The one translation I particularly enjoyed was that this award was created: "In an effort to promote brotherhood among bloggers, show affection and gratitude for adding value to the blogosphere" The following blogs do exactly that in my opinion.

So now the fun part. I get to give this out to other bloggers (the rules say up to 15 other blogs). But, I'm going to focus on a short list of some of my must stop places each week. The list is by no means exhaustive as I read quite a lot of blogs, but this handful of bloggers seem to really exemplify the meaning of the award to me. While I'm including a few links (of more serious discussions) all of these blogs also have a lighter side and most provide plenty of laughter in their posts.

Janice over at Bikbik and Roro has done many a blog that talks about today's issues, whether they be environmental or humane. She's also had the courage to do some pretty deep soul searching and to talk about it in a way that I would say has the utmost integrity. One of my favorite posts from Janice is one she wrote "On the Perception of Beauty."

Another regular blog for me is Martha at Plowing Through Life. She has a big heart for animal rights and has done quite a bit of work with animal shelters. 

She also recently wrote one of the most thought provoking posts on humanity and helping a neighbor in need called "Please Remember the Less Fortunate." 

A blog that I have been very impressed with is Amy of Copper Diem. She is continually thinking about other people, and how she can help in whatever way she can. She's organized and motivated many of us to come along with her and support causes like Ears to You and 7000 bracelets for Hope. In fact she did a whole blog post title "So how can I help?"

Here is a blog, Jacqueline at Cheapskate Blethering, that has just a general curiosity about life that never ends. Asking great questions, exploring different cultures or just enjoying the world around. A recent post is a wonderful remembrance of how our elders can play such an important part in our lives called "Time Goes Marching Ever On."

A blog that I have just really come to enjoy ... each and every post ... is Ana at Introverted Art. Here is a quote from a recent blog post that for me, sums up just why I love to read her blog: "I admit, without shame, I am one of those people who make new year resolutions. They are not about losing weight or exercising, but they are about what I want to become. My birthday is in January, so the new year has always represented a sort of rebirth to me."

The Zen of Motherhood is a blog that creates a lively forum of discussion ... but with less words and more telegraphic images. Like her recent post called "Bad Moon Rising" with subtitle "Happy Apocalypse!"

To all these wonderful bloggers, I wish you warm congratulations and a deep thank you for 'promoting the brotherhood among bloggers.'

New Year Resolution

When it comes to beading I simply just like to create, but I confess that I have not done a lot of 'blue sky' designing in the past many months. I've either been working on a commissioned piece of jewelry, a challenge (with a theme and parameters) or something for a friend. All good things; mind you, but sometimes I just want to sit in front of the beads and create with no limitations. 

Lately, however, I've started doing a couple series just for me. I did the Van Gogh Series with a focus on earrings; inspired by the colors of his art. I am currently working on my latest one called Native Peoples with a focus to the simplicity of art from native cultures.

And yes, I do have at least half a dozen more ideas for themes in my head. I am enjoying these series as I feel like I'm able to let my creativity soar. I'm not trying to create it for someone else, but just to create. Some people paint, I guess for me ... my beads are my way to express my art. Who knew?

So my New Year's resolution for the year is to find time for this part of my jewelry. I know, I know ... I need to set a quantifiable goal for this. How about at least one post a month, and to introduce at least 2 more of my series. 

The question I have for all of you is whether any of you want to play along? I have 2 more Van Gogh paintings (Stary Night, and The Cypresses), at least 3 more Native Peoples themes (dream catchers, petroglyphs and Pacific Northwest Indian Art). If so, let me know and I'll send images for inspiration. Perhaps even commit to a reveal date. 

Happy New Year everyone. What will you resolve to do with your beading this year?

Etsy :: A Work in Progress

The one thing that I struggle with when it comes to my jewelry is selling it. I love to make it, to talk about it, to blog about it and I even enjoy photographing it. But when it comes to selling it; I simply struggle. I don't enjoy 'working the sale' and would far prefer to just give my jewelry away as so many of you know!

But alas, there is this nagging voice in my head. Ok, truth be told it is actually my husband (ha! there I said it) asking that I at least attempt to break even on my beady obsession. And so I have taken some steps to improve my Etsy store. 

I joined a wonderful group of Etsy shops this Fall called the BBA (Blogging Business Artisans) who have been a source of encouragement on Etsy. They have put out a challenge to all of us in the group to think about how we might improve our shops. I took this as a sign. 

In the past week I've taken several steps to update my shop. And I have to admit; it feels good to stop avoiding this, and I can see that this might actually help sales. So here is my running list (I'm sure I'll come up with more, but let's start here).

1. Photography: I've been in search of a style that I like, that I think will shout "oh yes, I know that look ... it's so-and-so's shop."  Anyone whose been to my Etsy knows that it looks like perhaps 12 different people work here. Sadly, that is both my art and my curse. I like lots of things. But I've committed to getting my photography to one style. It will take a bit of time to swap out the photos, and I need a new camera. But I've begun. You'll see a new look in the shop (the photos in this post are examples - and taken by a friend - Thea of Baby Cocktails). 
2. Regular Re-Stocking: I was really on top of this when I first opened my Etsy Shop in 2010, but in the past year I've let re-stocking fall off. Sometimes I went several months without adding a single item. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to diagnosis the problem there. I added about 30 new items in the past month. I don't expect to keep up that pace, but I needed to make up for some lost momentum this year. 
3. Sections: Sections are a way to navigate your shop. I'm now at almost 100 items in the store. That's a lot, and people get lost. So I re-worked my sections in a way that makes more sense. Well at least to me, and I hope to my shoppers.
4. Treasuries: One great tip I picked up from my BBA team is optimizing the use of treasuries (my treasuries). When I stock a new item, or add a new section (as I just did with Kitsch Stitch), a treasury is a great way to get the word out. But remember to include other shops, and then be sure to send them a note letting them know they've been included (don't forget the treasury link so they can find it!). This way you spread the word, and get views. 
5. Social Media Linking: I've been trying to make sure I stay on top of this, but this feels a lot more like 'working the sale.' One way I've been able to deal with this (at least for me) is to have social sites that are separate between my personal (my real name) and my shop (Antiquity Travelers). I don't want all my personal friends on Facebook to think I'm constantly asking them to buy my stuff! But I have linked my shop FB page to twitter, so when I post on FB it automatically 'tweets' an update. I have entire boards dedicated to my jewelry on Pinterest, I have collages to highlight my jewelry on Polyvore ... but all absolutely need to link to the Etsy shop. That way if someone really likes a piece, they know exactly how they can buy it. This is still a work in progress for me, but I'm getting more disciplined about it.

I have a few more ideas in the works like a revamp to my logo. I want to keep the Shiva as it is part of my identity. It is a real item in my studio, and one I brought back from the Himalayas. So that stays. But everything else is up for grabs. How about all of you? Will you be making New Year's Resolutions to update your shops? Any ideas to share on what makes a better shop experience? Leave me a comment .... I'm interested!

BBA Secret Santa :: Nancy Fallon Designs

My BBA group (Blogging Business Artisans) did a Secret Santa swap this year and I was matched up with Nancy of N. Fallon Design Studio who sent me a few of my favorite things!

And like one of my children, when I got my box in the mail I promptly ripped it open. Opps! so I I don't have a picture of the individually, beautifully wrapped gifts. Oh, and one of them is missing from the picture since it was wonderfully scented soap and quickly was put to use! 

Included in my box was two scented soaps, tangerine orange tea (I LOVE citrus and tea - so she combined that!). And she included a cute little notebook, which will be put to use in my beading studio.

I've been having a wonderful holiday break; enjoying a little down time. Which reminds me it is time for a little afternoon tea ... perhaps some tangerine orange

Happy Holidays Everyone

Happy Holidays :: Happy Blogiversary!

A year ago I started my blog. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this blogging thing, but I decided to give it a try for a little while. A year later, 153 posts later, and many bloggy friendships later ... I can say that I like it and will continue. To all my new friends, from around the world, Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas




















Today I'm going to leave you with a holiday tradition that my husband and I started with our two girls. We collect Christmas ornaments from our many travels. And then once a year, when we put up the tree, we have fun reminiscing about all the fabulous places we've seen and people we've met. A sneak preview of the Pinterest board my youngest daughter and I created with the collection of ornaments from our tree. 

I hope you have time this holiday season to share in some warm traditions; whether they be old or new.

The Van Gogh Series :: Flower Fields

Recently I was shopping with a couple of beady friends and we happened across a booth filled with wonderful artisan beads, including these beautiful flowers. The artisan is Patricia Dugmore of pjBeads. I knew I had to pick up a few for my Van Gogh Series, but the question was ... which ones? 

Right away I decided I wanted red, which reminded me of his Field of Poppies seen here. Poppies are often associated with blooms covering expansive open fields in the South of France. I love the way Van Gogh captured flowers, whether in a vase or waving in the wind out in the fields. Simply stunning. 

Van Gogh's earliest paintings of poppies were during his time in Paris where he painted mainly cut flowers as he did not have the money to pay models. Still-life was just more practical. 

He notes years later in a letter to his sister Wilhelmina that he used the brilliant red of poppy blooms against the bright green of the alfalfa fields because of the color contrast it created. He says, "these are the fundamentals, which one may subdivide further, and elaborate, but quite enough to show you without the help of a picture that there are colours which cause each other to shine brilliantly, which form a couple, which complete each other like man and woman." A bit of a run-on sentence, but hey he's an artist. This use of complimentary colors is what Van Gogh became known for, and what sets his paintings apart from other still-life work.

The red pair of earrings came together quickly. I wanted them to focus on pops of red with green as background; just like Van Gogh had done in his paintings. The result is an abstract pair of dangle earrings with large pops of red. In my Etsy shop.

The white ones gave me more trouble. I pulled them apart several times as adding leaves just put the whole thing off kilter. In the end, simplicity won. I knew I wanted to do something that had the look of snowdrops with the flower facing downwards. I just love this beautiful, simple flower with its hopeful sign of spring. Also, in my Etsy shop.

I went in search of any paintings that Van Gogh might have painted with snowdrops. I didn't find any. But what I did stumble across was a crazy sub-culture of snowdrop collectors. One man apparently gardens in secret; living in fear that someone will steal his precious bulbs. There was a run on his garden (literally) when people found out that he had sold a rare variety on eBay for £357 [$577 USD] ... holy smokes. 

He promptly moved his precious bulbs to a super-duper secret location. He says he always gives one bulb away to a friend for security (in case one is stolen; he'll have a back-up). He is quoted everywhere as saying "stealing snowdrops is like stealing a Van Gogh. If it’s rare, all the galanthophiles [enthusiastic collectors of snowdrops - nope I did not make that up] will know who propagated it and where it was stolen from." 

Ok, so I think that has got to be the most anyone has ever paid for a crazy friken bulb beautiful flower - right? Nope. A mutant variety sold for £725 [$1,172 USD] on eBay. Ian Christie, a local nurseryman in Scotland, spotted the 'one in ten million' plant and propagated it as a new variation. He sold it and gave the money back to the elderly couple who run the nursery since financing has become more challenging in recent years. Now that is some Christmas spirit!